Theft warning for golf courses

Golf is considered a ‘gentleman’s game’. Golfers are expected to follow the rules of the game irrespective of their ability and who may or may not be watching. Unlike many sports, in which players will try to gain the upper hand in somewhat ‘unsportsmanlike’ ways, golfers will self-report their errors and take any penalties.

Sadly, no matter how honest the game may be, we cannot always escape the more unsavoury elements of life. Several local golf courses have experienced thefts in recent months. Some of the items stolen included buggies, fuel and machinery.

Luckily, due to our stringent security measures – cameras, alarms, overnight cleaning, an on-site, live-in caretaker and a few very observant, pro-active neighbours, Warley Park, its members and belongings have so far escaped unscathed from this recent spate of crime.

However, we did experience the following two events in recent weeks:

Night-time dog walk?

A pair of thieves attempted to steal a small, petrol-powered item of course machinery. Luckily, our on-site caretaker observed them taking it and called the police. Having realised they’d been disturbed, the thieves left the machine in a ditch and made off.

They were found a short distance away from Warley Park Golf Club but unfortunately, they claimed to be walking a dog and therefore, no prosecution could be made. The thieves were caught as close to red-handed as you could get but by saying nothing to the police, they managed to avoid the long arm of the law.

One positive was that at least we got the machine back.

What a romantic!

A neighbour spotted lights from a car driving on Warley Park’s golf course at around midnight, so called us, the police and several other neighbours in order to form a mob to confront the intruder. They approached the offending vehicle, only to find a rather embarrassed member of our Greenstaff, who confessed that he was showing his girlfriend the stunning view of London from atop our hill!

Not a bad excuse and rather romantic we suppose, although the date being interrupted by an angry mob probably wasn’t exactly the result he’d hoped for!

On a serious note, here at Warley Park, we are committed to ensuring that our facilities, staff and members are safe and secure at all times. Therefore, we remain vigilant, invest in relevant security measures and continue to work with our staff, neighbours and the local authorities.